LAST CALL: Equal is a relative term for Chrysler

DaimlerChrysler chair Jurgen Schrempp might want to spend some time in a media and em-ployee relations training class.

The German auto exec recently dealt a blow to morale at Chrysler when he told The Financial Times he didn't mean it when he called Daimler's takeover of Chrysler a 'merger of equals.' But being honest and calling it a takeover would have killed the deal, he said.

Unfortunately, many Chrysler employees believed the 'merger of equals' term. When it became apparent it wasn't true, Chrysler saw an exodus of management talent.

Business Week recently reported that Chrysler employees were posting Schrempp's latest remarks on bulletin boards and sending them to former employees.

Tony Cervone, VP of commu-nications at Chrysler, insisted: 'In today's parlance, it's almost irrelevant. Chrysler is clearly its own business unit that's being run for its own benefit.'

Wonder how Chrysler emplo-yees will react to the next thing Schrempp tries to tell them?